Machine for cutting and pasting moving-picture films.



C. J. LANG. MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND PASTING MOVING PICTURE FILMS.

APPLIQATION FILED MAYH. 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented July 13, 1915.

C. J. LANG.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND PASTING MOVING PICTURE FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY II, I914.

Patented July 13, I915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

C. J. LANG.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND PASTING MOVING PICTURE FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYH,1914.

Patented July 13, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

llllt a a". LANG, or omen, nnw YonK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Application filed May 11, 1914. Serial No. 837,830.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CARL J. LANG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olean,.

in the county of Cattaraugus and State of New York, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Cutting and Pasting Moving-Picture Films, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for cutting and pastingthe films used in motion picture apparatus. When a film breaks, it is necessary that the broken ends be trimmed and pasted together at a proper point to preserve the continuity of the pictures, and the present machine is designed to do this in a convenient and rapid manner. It therefore includes means for cutting off the strip at proper points, and for cementing the same together after being out, as will more fully appear from the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a' central longitudinal section, with, however, one part of the machine swung over to bring the end of the film in position to receive the cement after the emulsion is scraped therefrom. Fig. 4 is a detail in side elevation of the cutter. Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the machine. Figs. 6 and 7 are cross sections on the line 6-6 and 77 of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 and 7 indicate the opposite sides of the frame of the machine, connected at one end by a cross piece 8. A bed or table 9 extends between the side pieces, at one end thereof, and carries a spool 10 on which one section of the film is wound, the film being indicated at F. In a recess in the bed 9 are a pair of sprocket wheels 11 mounted on the shaft 12 which may be turned by means of a thumb head 13, to adjust the film with respect to the cutting position, the film being pressed to contact with the sprocket wheels by means of a swinging plate 14 pivoted at 15 to lugs 16 on the bed, and this plate car ries flat springs 17 which bear against the film and hold it to the sprockets when the plate is swung down.

At the opposite end of the frame is a bed section 18 which is pivoted at 19 to ears 20 forming a part of the frame 6, and the free end of this bed section 18 is beveled as indi cated at 21 to stop against and match with the beveled end 22 of the fixed bed 9. The swinging bed section 18 is also recessed for sprockets 23 mounted on the shaft 24 which may be turned by a head 25 to adjust the other section of the film with respect to the cutting position, and this hinged or reversible bed section also. has mounted thereon a hinged presser plate 25 pivoted at 26 to cars 27 so that it may be swung down on the bed to press thefilm to the sprockets by means of flat springs 28 attached to the plate 25. The plate is held down by a catch 29 operated by a push pin 30 and engaging over the edge of an opening 31 in the plate 25 when said plate is swung down.

A cross piece 32 is located at the end of the frame, in such position that the end of the swinging bed 18, when reversed, will rest thereon, with the end 7 of the film projecting and resting on said piece 32 so that by means of a knife blade or the like the emulsion can be scraped from said projecting end of the film and the cement applied thereto. r

The cutter comprises a hinged arm 33 mounted to swing and also slide lengthwise on a rod 34 supported by brackets 35 at the side of the frame. Upon this arm 33 is mounted a sliding case 36 which carries a rotary cutter 37. The arm 33 has a guide portion 38 within which is a rod 39, the easing 36 being slidable on the guide and a coil spring 40 is located in compression between a projection 41 on the guide and a projection 42 on the side wall of the slide 36. On the bed 9 is a mark 43 to indicate the line of one out, and a mark 44 to indicate the line of another cut, and in the operation of the cutter, the arm 33 is swung down, as shown in Fig. 5, to bring the knife 37 in contact with the end of the film on the bed 9, at the line 43, as indicated-in Fig. 5, and then slide 36 may be moved across the bed, the knife 37 acting to cut off the film on one side of the break, at said line. The arm 33 is then slid along the rod 34 until the knife 37 is in line with the line 44, and by moving the knife cut oif. The spring 40 returns the slide 36 after each operation.

It will be noticed from Fig. 1, that the line 44 is located a short distance from the end of the swinging bed 18, so that when said bed is swung over as shown in Fig. 3, the projecting end f will be in position to receive the cement. At the side of the frame opposite to the knife support 34, is an angular arm 50 hinged on a side pin 51 supported by ears 52, and this arm carries a presser plate 53 supported by sliding pins 54 and provided withcoiled springs 55 which tend to press the plate 53 downwardly. A latch 56, operated by a push pin 57 extending acros under the frame, engages over the edge of an opening 58 in the arm 50, and holds the'presser plate upon the lapped ends of the film F, as shown in Fig. 7, when said ends are matched. A spring 59 holds the latch in engagement.

In the use of the device the end of the section of the film upon the spool 10 is laid on the bed 9, and the gate 14 is swung down upon the same, and by turning the shaft 12 the film is advanced to bring the torn end to proper position with respect to the line 43. The other part of the film is laid on the swinging bed 18 and clamped by theplate 25, and by turning the shaft 24 and sprockets 23 the torn end is properly adjusted with respect to the line 44. The cutter 37 is then swung down and one end of the film is cut across on the line 43. j The cutter is then moved and the other end of the film is cut across on the line 44. The cutter is then swung up out of the way, and the bed section 18 is reversed or turned over on its pivot 19, laying the end of the film upon the part 32 with the end f exposed. This end is then scraped to remove the emulsion on that side of the film, and cement is applied to said end. The bed 18 is then swung back to original position, the part of the film on the roll 10 being meanwhile advanced by the sprockets 11 to bring the cut end in line with the inner end of the swinging bed 18, and when said bed is swung down to original position the part f of the film will lap the said end. The arm 50 is then swung over to clamp the lapped ends under the plate 53, the springs 55 pressing said platev to contact and holding the en together, and the catch 56 being engaged, the joint is allowed to 'dry, after which the film ma be removed from the machine.

It will be seen that the machine provides convenient means for cutting oii the torn ends of the film at the proper places, for applying cement to one of the cut ends, and for clamping the joint while the cement is drying, and the film does not have to be removed from the machine until the operations are completed.

for clamping the lap ed ends.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for joining film ends, the combination of holders for adjacent sec- 70 tions of the film, a cutter movable across the holders for cutting off said ends, means for reversing one of said ends, means for adjusting the film to lap said ends, and means 2. In a machine or joining film ends, the combination of holders for adjacent sections of the film, one of said holders being reversible to expose the under side of the end of one section, means to cut the ends 30 of the sections, and means to clamp said ends when lapped.

3. In a machine for joining film ends, the combination of holders for adjacent sections of the film, one of said holders being 5 reversible to expose the under side of the end of one section, means to adjust one of the sections to lap the ends, and means to clamp the lapped ends.

4. In a' machine for joining film ends, the combination of holders for adjacent film sections, and a cutter movable crosswise of said holders to cut-off the ends of the sections, and also movable lengthwise across the ends of the film sections from one holder at toward the other to permit each end to be cut ofl by thecutter.

5. In a machine for joining film ends, the combination of a fixed holder for one section of the film, a reversible holder for the other section of the film, film-adjusting devices on each holder, and a cutter movable crosswise of said holders, to cut oil the ends of said sections.

6. Ina machine for joining film ends, the 1.05 combination of a fixed holder for one section of the film, a reversible holder for the other section of the film, sprockets mounted in each holder and engageable with the film to adjust the same, and a hinged frame adapted to swing over the holders and provided with a cutter movable across the same to sever the ends of the sections, said frame beingadjustable lengthwise of the film to diiferent positions.

7. In a machine for joining film ends, the combination of a fixed holder for one sec-. tion of the vfilm, a reversible holder for the other section of the film, the latter being pivoted crosswise to reverse the end of the section .when the holder is swung over, a plate on which said end is laid when reversed, whereby the emulsion may be removed and cement applied, means to adjust the sections in the holders .to la the ends thereof, and means to clamp tille lapped ends while drying. t

8. In a machine for joinin film ends, the combination of holders for a jacent film sections, a guide arm pivoted beside the holdmeepoe In testimony whereof, ll efiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL J. LANG.

Witnesses:

GERALD VAN DIXON, FRED D. ABRAMS. 

